Common Name: Lesser Rock Skipper, White-spotted Foot-flagging Frog, Bornean Rock Frog
Scientific Name: Staurois Parvus
Family: Ranidae – True Frog family
Location: Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia
Female Size: 1.3 – 1.5 inches (33 – 38 mm)
Male Size: 1.1 – 1.2 inches (27 – 31 mm)
The Lesser Rock Skipper lives along fast moving streams in tropical rainforests on the island of Borneo. They are active during the day (diurnal).
Once the male frogs reach sexual maturity in 1 to 2 years, they need to find a mating territory. The best spots are the shallow parts of the streams or where the plants are densest. The biggest, strongest male frogs take these spots and will defend the spot from weaker males.
Once the female frogs arrive, the male frogs let out a call to let them know he is there. The pitch of their call is high so that the female frogs can hear it over the stream. If the female hears it and recognizes the male frog, the male frog starts to foot flag to attract her over. Foot flagging is where the frog raises its hind legs and flashes them around. The more mature or older the male frog, the more brightly colored their legs are and the more attractive the male is to the female frog. Once the mating courtship is done, the female and male move to the stream. There, the male frog grabs the female from behind in amplexus. Next, the female frog lays her eggs and the male frog fertilizes them. She prefers to lay the eggs under rocks or heavy leaf litter.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assess the Lesser Rock Skipper as Vulnerable to Extinction. The frog only lives in 6 small areas that are threatened by deforestation. Luckily, a few of these areas are in national parks which can protect them for now.